About Brian and Aha!

Brian seeks business and wilderness adventure. He is the co-founder and CEO of Aha! — the world’s #1 product roadmap software — and the author of Lovability. His two previous startups were acquired by well-known public companies. Brian writes and speaks about product and company growth and the adventure of living a meaningful life.

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It was your last great product launch. Maybe you would even call it “brilliant.” I can bet I know why it went so well — all the pieces came together seamlessly. And so did all the players. Breakthrough launches happen when teammates work together. This is especially true for two teams in particular.Read more…

Life is punctuated by special events. For the most part, there are your normal routines of work, family, and hobbies. Then something big happens, like the purchase of a new home or arrival of a new family member. But your normal routines do not stop when these happenings occur — both need your continued attention. The same is true for building and launching products.Read more…

Profit sharing is not common in most privately held tech companies. Why? Well, it is pretty simple. For starters, most of these companies are not making any profit. (It is hard to share what you do not have.) And many are backed by venture capitalists who are expecting a big return on their investment within a few years. Generously giving back to employees is not exactly a priority. However, there is a way to grow quickly and put people first.

The first day of work can feel a lot like the first day of school. You are filled with excitement — ready to take on a new challenge and meet new people. But if you are joining an entirely distributed company, you might wonder what that first day will be like. Is that first day of working remotely like walking into an empty classroom?Read more…

Powerful people do not work well together. At least, that is what one study suggests. Researchers concluded that when working in a group, powerful people underperform and fight over status and decision-making authority. To which I say: If key leaders cannot cooperate, how can they expect the broader team to create anything meaningful together?Read more…

It has been another terrific year at Aha! — I am grateful. Grateful for our team’s growth and that our product is solving a very real problem for more than 5,000 companies. And I am grateful that so many of you take the time to follow our writing here and on LinkedIn where I have contributed hundreds of articles. In the spirit of sharing appreciation, I want to thank you.Read more…

When was the last time you expressed gratitude to a co-worker? I am not talking about a quick “thanks” in an email. I am talking about taking a moment to tell them why you are grateful — for how they contribute to the team and how they make your own work better.Read more…

2018 has been tremendous for the Aha! team. We started the company in 2013 and now have nearly 100 teammates. It is awe-inspiring to look back on our extraordinary trajectory. And today, our rapid rise has another milestone — we landed at #50 onDeloitte’s Technology Fast 500 list. Read more…

I wrote a post about the real value of a product manager last year. The love was not surprising — I have always had a special place in my heart for product managers. These are among the most under-appreciated people in technology. But there is another role that does not seem to get enough appreciation. And I feel equally passionate about these folks. Why?Read more…

More customers, more people, more process, more technology — leading to more success. And success leads to financial gains which can be reinvested to grow more customers, more people, more process, more technology. If you are fortunate, this merry-go-round continues. But at times, it can be a bit dizzying the more spins you complete. Read more…

You rely heavily on other teams for product success. That is the story of being a product manager. So naturally, it makes your job a lot tougher when other teams are not supportive. Criticizing the roadmap. Trash-talking product decisions behind your back. Pushing different messages and functionality when meeting with customers. And it often seems to come from one group more than others — the sales team.Read more…

Shhh. Do you hear anything? That silence is the sound of somebody not communicating with you at work. You pinged them with a question. You invited them to a meeting. But you received no response. You have been ghosted. Read more…

Three product teams enter. One product team leaves triumphant, two stumble away bruised. Do your resource allocation meetings ever feel like a knock-down, drag-out fight? When there are not clear priorities to guide what needs the most investment, it can feel as though you have to grab anything you can — even if it means another team will have less. This is a zero-sum game.Read more…

The Dunning-Kruger effect. It is a mouthful to say, but the concept itself is pretty simple. It refers to a cognitive bias where people confidently assess themselves as much smarter than they really are. And research shows that is more common than you think. As humans, we tend to make up our minds about something and discard contrary facts that get in the way. Read more…